


The Prime Directive

by Kayzo



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Hurt Jim, Mild Blood, Mission Fic, bridge crew bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28580631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayzo/pseuds/Kayzo
Summary: Rules were made to be broken, right?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	The Prime Directive

This wasn’t their smartest decision; directly disobeying Starfleet command (again) and beaming down to the planet’s surface to inoculate the plant life (the inhabitants only source of food) against a bacteria infection that would leave them devastated and starving without the security of food shipments from warp capable civilizations that they didn't even know existed. He calls it ‘their’ decision, because none of his bridge crew had called him out on it or argued after he’d declared their plans. Which was great, because he wasn’t about to leave this one up for debate. The bacteria was the same that had devastated Tarsus IV and he wasn’t about to let anyone stop him from helping.

The surface is idyllic; greenery (and blue-ery due to the high anthocyanin levels) in every direction and clear purple skies, there is even a rushing river ahead--the source of which is their target. 

“Based on our scans, this water source feeds more than 3/4ths of the planet's singular landmass.” Spock says, barely looking up from his data pad as he starts towards the water. 

“Wish we could just crop dust the darn things,” Jim mumbles to himself, knowing exactly why they can’t have a flying craft sprinkle the component over the land—and more importantly the peoples—of a non-warp capable planet. While crop-dusting would have gotten a higher percentage of the plant life, it would have also irrevocably impacted the peoples, and Jim is already anticipating the lecture he’s going to get from Starfleet command when they notice the _Enterprise_ is still hovering over Lima VIII when told explicitly to make their way to the Echo quadrant. He follows after Spock, not even half as graceful even though he’s actually watching his steps. 

“This will get the most populous regions,” Sulu says sympathetically though he’s not looking at any of them, instead staring with shiny eyes at the plants all around them, “their main cities and habitats are around the water sources.”

“Right,” Jim sighs, “which means that we have to be even more careful as we get to the source.” 

“Because there’s always something looking to kill us.” Bones grumbles.

Jim can’t help but smile at Bones’ familiar grumbling—no matter where they are in the galaxy, there are some constants, “I told you, you didn’t have to come, we need a botanist, not a doctor.”

Bones snorts, “knowing your fool self, you always need a doctor.” Jim can’t say much to that. 

They get through the foliage and towards the lest populated side of the water source—an absolutely huge lake fed by underground springs. They are on the only cliff side of the water, making it the only area that isn’t teeming with settlements, both permanent and transient. It's beautiful. And it's going to stay that way, if Jim has any say in it. 

“Alright, give me the gun.” Jim turns to Spock; gun isn’t exactly accurate, as those stopped being used well before Jim’s birth, but it's so reminiscent of those crude old time weapons that Jim can't help it. It's also much easier to say than ‘antibacterial triggered projectile device’.

“You will need to aim at the center of the water for the most effective transfer of the component.” Spock says, handing over the device. He’d given up trying to get Jim to say it right a while ago. Jim tries not to grunt at the device’s weight—Vulcan strength is an unfair advantage.

Jim shoulders it and takes a step closer to the edge.

* * *

Bones is kneeling over him, cursing. Spock has Jim half propped up against him, touching him much more than must be comfortable for the Vulcan, and Sulu is stepping back out of the foliage, phaser drawn and at the ready.

“It wasn’t manned.” Sulu says, keeping out of the way but clearly worried. 

“How…” Jim looks down and feels ice run through his veins, “oh.” His leg is—shattered. There’s no other word for it. There’s a spear sticking out through his calf and it—it hit bone and won. Someone has torn away his pant leg and the skin is already purpling from internal bleeding and bruising. It looks so fundamentally wrong; Jim lets his head fall back against Spock’s arm, nauseous. He doesn’t feel pain—he’s not sure if it’s shock or something Bones gave him or some mind magic that Spock’s doing, but if he keeps looking at what remains of his leg it won't matter.

“Don’t you fucking pass out you idiot.” Bones curses him, “‘don’t need a doctor’ my fucking ass.” He’s doing something—Jim can feel a pressure against his leg but he doesn’t dare move, and tries hard to focus on anything else. Spock’s shirt has a tiny loose thread. Very out of place for the meticulous first officer. Jim wants to cut it off. 

“I need to get him back to the Enterprise.” Bones says, and he’s talking over Jim to Spock.

“They won’t be able to beam us up from here, we need to get back to the clearing.”

“Well lets fucking go!”

“Did ya get th’ stuff in the water?” 

“I’m seeing movement—I think there was some kind of alert on the trap, there’s a group mobilizing.” Sulu says, eyes on the edges of the lake.

“Get it in the water—we need to—get it in.” Jim can’t leave with that not done.

Sulu looks back at them for a moment; Spock nods. Sulu stows his phaser and grabs the gun, staying further from the edge than where Jim had stood. He gets one shot off. The recoil shakes the ground and Jim feels his muscles seize. The pain is starting to make its way through the shock. He lets out a harsh breath and tries to force himself to relax. Easier said than done.

Spock looks to the left, “I can hear them coming.”

“Get the other shots off, Sulu.” Jim gets out. There are two more that need to be in that water, otherwise this is all for nothing. Sulu nods, face stern, and resets, pulling the trigger again. The same wave of pain goes through Jim and Bones sticks him with something else. 

“That’s all I got—we need to get you back. Now.”

Jim shakes his head; “There’s one more.”

Bones turns to Sulu, he can hear the incoming group now too, “Well? Hurry it up!”

Sulu resets as fast as he can—but the incoming party heard the noise of the second shot too and they’re getting closer, faster. Sulu will be able to get it off, but they won’t be able to get back to the clearing fast enough to avoid the indigenous people, not with Jim as dead weight.

“Hey—hey you know what I think?” Jim can feel the slur in his voice—he reaches out a hand to Bones and puts his other on Spock’s arm, “I think you should go.”

Bones is splinting his leg with a branch, wrapping it with his torn pant, “Well, isn’t it a damn good thing I didn’t ask for your opinion on the fucking matter.” Each movement is fire up his leg and through his spine.

“I must agree with Dr. McCoy on this, Captain” Spock speaks calmly into Jim’s shoulder. 

“Don’t sound so defeated over it Mr. Spock.” Bones ties the last of the fabric to the backdrop of Sulu’s final shot.

Jim gets out a laugh that makes both blue shirts look back at him with varying levels of worry. Sulu secures the gun to his back, he has that same look and Jim decides he doesn’t like it at all.

“This will hurt.” Spock says and then Jim’s being lifted up. God it hurts so much—Jim bites his lip as hard as he can to keep from screaming. He tastes copper.

* * *

He wakes up in medbay and can't help grinning.

“We did it then?”

Bones scoffs, “Yeah you crazy bastard, we did it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fic: ["Good thing I didn't ask for your opinion"](https://filthysweetie.tumblr.com/post/189710801780/drabble-challenge)
> 
> Originally posted on [my tumblr](http://filthysweetie.tumblr.com/). Thank you for reading!
> 
> unrelated but damn, that summary makes this fic sound so much cooler than it is. one day i'm going to write something that's worthy of a pithy summary and title like that. one day...


End file.
